3 questions to evaluate your firm culture

silhouettes of three business partners talking against a window in an officeyou have to gauge this to effectively move toward partnership.

by martin bissett

this second c is a stormy and choppy one, often fraught with political icebergs but navigated diplomatically and with maturity, will lead you through.

more on the passport to partnership: learn to read your firm’s culture | 5 ways to get buy-in for firm culture | competence: more than technical skills | partnership: competence is just the foot in the door | are you partner material? maybe not

case study on culture

deborah had done well. she was bridging the firm’s culture gap and fulfilling its desire to be seen as an equal opportunities employer by becoming the practice’s standout rising star.
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payroll workers still on a roller coaster

cpatrendlines jobs report tiltindustry employment rises, with women seeing huge gains.

what it takes to succeed in today’s profession:
join the survey; get the answers

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

industry hiring is moving ever higher but wages aren’t keeping pace, according to new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research.

sole practitioner joshua giminez of fair winds tax and financial and columbus counted himself among those in a the latest 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 survey probably willing to consider a new job and keeping his eyes open. “opportunities to increase my income level abound,” he explained.

numbers are growing in nearly all sectors of the tax and accounting industry, with women in particular advancing 5.9 percent annualized and even higher in cpa firms and payroll.

yet, payroll remains volatile. workers are finding more opportunities, with 9.7 percent growth, but hourly pay for staff is off by 6.6 percent.
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learn to read your firm’s culture

four young business people chatting outside office buildingbonus: 3 outlooks from our exclusive expert council.

by martin bissett

the passport to partnership study collated a number of responses from existing partners of accounting practices in a conversational style.

 

more on the passport to partnership: 5 ways to get buy-in for firm culture | competence: more than technical skills | partnership: competence is just the foot in the door | are you partner material? maybe not

examples that really stood out on the realities of individual variances in firm culture are showcased below.

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5 ways to get buy-in for firm culture

industrial metal number 5change management is one of the keys.

by martin bissett

cultural issues are dynamic, very broad and unique in each firm. as such it is a challenge to summarize them accurately and comprehensively.

more on the passport to partnership: competence: more than technical skills | experts advise what partnership takes | partnership: competence is just the foot in the door | are you partner material? maybe not

from our research, however, the wise choice for anyone wishing to get their passport to partnership appears to be to study

  • their firm’s existing culture,
  • that of its senior individuals and
  • that of those who have the ear of those senior individuals

to understand not only the route to partnership, but the terrain that they need to cross too.
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competence: more than technical skills

businessman correcting an underling12 ways to determine your competence.

by martin bissett

the passport to partnership study collated a number of responses in a conversational style. two brief but succinct examples that really stood out on the realities of how a firm assesses an individual’s “competence” to lead are showcased below.

more on the passport to partnership: experts advise what partnership takes | partnership: competence is just the foot in the door | are you partner material? maybe not

  1. they need to explain technical data to me in a way that i know they understand it.
  2. what kind of lifestyle does this person have outside of work? we’ll be looking at facebook, twitter and google to find out.

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experts advise what partnership takes

back view of a businessman holding a briefcase and walking forward on white backgrounddefining what competence means for partners.

by martin bissett

the skill in producing financial reports is limited by the quality of the information presented to the cpa by the client. motivation of the client to influence that financial information comes in many forms, some intentional and some unintentional. competence comes first in being able to resist pressure and present a true and accurate position of the client’s organization.

more on the passport to partnership: are you partner material? maybe not | communication: putting it all together | what does the next generation of practice leaders face? | businesses place value on expertise

sounds obvious, doesn’t it? but there’s a twist.
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are you partner material? maybe not

businessman holding hand upresearch shows wide gap between partners and partners-to-be.

by martin bissett
passport to partnership

have you ever wondered what the partners of your firm are looking for from you, beyond your technical abilities?

more on the passport to partnership: 9 things to stop doing now | the dna of a practice leader | why hitting your numbers isn’t enough | what do your true colors say about your commitment? | what commitment really means for partners | how well do you represent your firm? | communication: putting it all together | the 4 winning communications habits of top accountants

for full disclosure, i am not an accountant, but i have spent decades working with accounting firms of all shapes and sizes in the united kingdom, the united states and europe.
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women gain jobs, payroll up and down

cpatrendlines jobs report tiltoverall industry employment continues to rise.

who’s hiring; who’s firing.
join the survey; get the answers

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

women are outpacing men as new hires in the tax and accounting industry today, according to new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research.

female headcounts are advancing at annualized rates of 5.5 percent in overall employment, 7.3 percent at cpa firms, and 10.6 percent in payroll services, according to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research.

at the same time, payroll is emerging as one of the most volatile sectors, with staff up 7.5 percent in the latest month, while wages dropped 8.8 percent year-on-year.

in metairie, la., a source at a three-partner partner firm reports they are looking for a cpa with the right “mix of technical skills and communication skills.”  “it’s very important to be able to communicate issues with both management and clients,” the source tells 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间. at the same time, work at the firm has its challenges. “although we strive to give clients the best service possible, it is sometimes to the detriment of our work/life balance.”

at a 12-partner cpa firm with offices scattered across colorado, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 hears from an insider that they are seeking to promote from within. “we are cultivating staff-level employees because we need middle managers and supervisors who already have some experience.”

in the rest of this report, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 delves into:

  • current hiring trends in each of the bookkeeping, payroll, tax, and cpa segments of the industry.
  • average hourly wages for key segments.
  • typical hours worked per week.
  • and trends concerning women in the accounting workforce.

read more →

how to prepare for the first meeting with a new prospect

businessman leaning against carand 4 questions to ask yourself afterward.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

you’ve done all the marketing to bring new opportunities; you and your partners are confident in the value you need to offer; your pipeline is filled out and you have done your a.c.c.o.u.n.t.s. so what’s next?

more on business development: the five fastest ways to kill a new opportunity [video] | use this spreadsheet to evaluate prospects | before the sales meeting | lowballing is undervaluing yourself | do you have a pipeline or just a list? | overcome recurring fee apathy | 5 ways to make selling easier to swallow

now you need to go and meet with the prospect for the first time. this is a huge step forward, but many professionals also find the first meeting a challenge. that challenge can be overcome by having a system in place and following it.
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9 things to stop doing now

businessman in dark gray suit raise his hand in action of stop and word "stop" on his red palmstop devaluing yourself and the profession.

by martin bissett
passport to partnership

the thing about accountants is that they occupy, should they wish to, a unique position in the minds of their clients. we know it as most trusted advisor.

more on the passport to partnership: how to create an upward spiral | it’s not the challenge, it’s your response | what challenges really mean for partners | commitment: your view and your firm’s | businesses place value on expertise | what conversion really means for partners | communication: it’s not about you

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

simply put, if you are a trusted advisor, you’re supposed to
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staff likes and dislikes about the accounting profession

three young businesspeople talkingplus 28 facilitator questions before discussing staff issues at a retreat.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm retreats

while everyone has their own thoughts, what staff like the most and least about their jobs have some common threads.

more on partner retreats for pro members: 25 ways to turn good firms into great firms | partner buyout 101 | 27 tough questions every firm needs to address | make more money | system vs. system: partner compensation best practices | 10 benchmarking missteps | how to address partner compensation at a retreat | partner accountability: how and for what? | 18 essential management questions to cover at a retreat | how to decide who decides what | management styles: partnership vs. corporate | 30 marketing and growth questions to cover at a retreat | how marketing for cpa firms is different | why create a marketing plan? | thinking of merging? discuss it at a retreat | how to take action after a retreat | 12 simple rules for a retreat

what staff like the most read more →

key advice for potential partners

woman's hand pressing words "ask an expert"bonus: 8 questions to ask plus words from our expert council.

by martin bissett
passport to partnership

you may want to become a partner, but that requires leadership. do you display the traits you admire in leaders?

more on the passport to partnership: how to create an upward spiral | the dna of a practice leader | what does the next generation of practice leaders face? | commitment: a cautionary tale | how to build your pipeline | 6 keys to the perfect proposal | communication can’t be overrated

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

partnership pointers

1. take time to identify a leader you admire from any walk of life. jot down a criterion for emulating their success behaviors. how many of these criteria do you fulfill yourself already and what do you yet lack but can work on right away?

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fresh data spell new staffing issues at tax & accounting firms

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 jobs reporthiring and wages are up. utilization rates are down.

next question: the best talent retention strategies.
join the survey; get the answers.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

most workers in the tax and accounting industry are working fewer hours than a year and a half ago, according to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 sources, a potentially troubling sign of unsustainable hiring and management practices.

in addition, year-over-year increases of 5 percent or more were seen in

  • number of overall staff;
  • number of cpa firm employees, both total and staff;
  • payroll staff;
  • and women overall, at cpa firms and in payroll

the really bad news comes in payroll agencies, where positions are at their second highest level ever, but wages are plummeting.

with the new data, the monthly 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 jobs report projects a new surge in turnover with the end of busy season. there will be winners. and there will be losers. savvy, growing firms will be well-positioned to attract the under-leveraged talent that slow-footed firms can’t handle or afford. top talent will be making lateral moves, as much for more supportive cultures and future opportunities as for a quick pay increase, according to the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 analysis.

in this report, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 provides additional detail and analysis on:

  • current hiring trends in each of the cpa, tax preparation, payroll and bookkeeping segments of the industry;
  • average hourly wages for key segments;
  • average hours worked per week;
  • and trends concerning women in the accounting workforce.

read more →